


(Can't) Stay Strong

by abovethesmokestacks



Category: American Actor RPF, Sebastian Stan - Fandom
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, F/M, Mentions of Abortion, Werewolf AU, because this one takes the cake, nothing graphic, prepare for angst, the adventures of Lassie and Batsy, the many supernatural faces of Sebastian Stan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-07 11:26:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8799094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abovethesmokestacks/pseuds/abovethesmokestacks
Summary: Something was wrong. You and your friend couldn’t see past the front line that had formed around the Alpha, but the way his shoulders, hell, his entire body, had tensed, something was wrong.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this one needs a little explanation before diving into it. A while back, ny friend Kati (SithHappens) made a post on tumblr about how Seb could pretty much be any kind of supernatural creature. This devolved into a whole discussion which ended in us creating this weird, fun and sometimes steamy AU in which two human women share a house with the vampire version and werewolf version of Seb (called Batsy and Lassie respectively) because some bad people are after them. Try as we might, there is a whole lot of angst involved, and a few nights ago it kinda had us in a bit of an angst tailspin, and this is the result of it. It’s not really an RPF so much as something that started as kinda-RPF and became its own thing where the characters just happen to look like Seb..?
> 
> The fic will deal with the werewolf, and a lot of the mechanics for the were pack has been taken from the a/b/o-verse, in that there are alphas, betas and omegas, there is rutting and heat cycles and mating. There is a whole political aspect that will be mentioned, but not necessarily explained further since that would probably need a 20-page essay to explain, but feel free to come ask either me or Kati about it. We’re happy to share our little AU and cry some more.
> 
> Crossposted from my tumblr

Something was wrong. You and your friend couldn’t see past the front line that had formed around the Alpha, but the way his shoulders, hell, his entire body, had tensed, something was wrong. It drained the excitement out of you, replacing it with a gnawing mix of worry and curiosity. Seeing the Alpha like this was rare, he was such an easy-going man at home, full of laughs (for god’s sake, you called him Lassie!) and maybe a little prone to sulk, but nothing like this. Maybe it was an Alpha-thing, a display he put on? After all, it wasn’t often that the two of were allowed to come to one of the pack meetings, least of all to a meeting with another pack, and at the request of Lassie. Living in your little bubble had its charms, and you made a point to tease your two supernatural guards about being shut-ins and wanting to go out, nagging Lassie to take you with him on pack meetings, pleading with Batsy to let you follow him into town on a Saturday night. Now, standing here, surrounded by a pack of werewolves that all no doubt had noticed the tension in their Alpha, you kinda wished you would be back home.

”Sebastian,” a deep voice spoke, breaking the silence.

Someone from the other side had called the attention of Lassie. That was another strange thing, hearing his name. He was Lassie to you, Alpha if you really wanted to butter him up and get something. You knew his name, of course you did, but as freak coincidence would have it, your vampire guard was also named Sebastian, so the nicknames, however much they had grumbled over them in the beginning, were necessary.

”Still alone I see,” the voice continued, a sense of satisfaction evident. ”I would have expected you to have a mate by your side, a pup or two already. Guess not all can be so lucky.”

”The pack takes a lot of time, I’m afraid,” Lassie replied, muscles still coiled with the effort to stay calm.

”Not just the pack, I think… Tell me, why are there humans here?”

Sam, Lassie’s second-in-command, appeared by your side, ushering you to the front. Sneaking a look at him, you could see his lip curled up in a low snarl, the same tension evident in him, too. The veritable wall of guards on Lassie’s sides parted, giving you room to stand next to him, one on either side. Carefully, you let your eyes scan the open space in front of you, doing your best not to be too obvious about your curiosity. For being a meeting with another pack, there was a great deal of space between the two packs. A similar honor guard surrounded a tall, muscular man at the front that you could only assume was the other pack’s Alpha. Next to him, with her hands clasped over her swelling stomach, stood a woman with her eyes cast downward. The Alpha’s hand was slung over her shoulder, not so much to protect as a display of power. His mate, pregnant, by his side.

”Surely you mean to turn them,” the other Alpha said, motioning to you and your friend. ”Otherwise you wouldn’t have gone against our most sacred rule and told them of our existence.”

”No.” Lassie’s answer was short and clipped, his emotions radiating from him like a heatwave that had you almost trembling where you stood.

”No?”

”They are under my protection,” Lassie continued, voice a tad more steady. ”Hunters came upon me in the city a while back, these two happened to witness it, leading the hunters to flee. Because they have seen the hunters and the hunters have seen them, these two women are in danger, and it is my duty to protect them until the threat has been resolved.”

”They’re part of your pack?” the other Alpha challenged, and something told you there was more to this question than just ascertaining if you and your friend were part of Lassie’s pack.

”You will be travelling through our land, I thought it best to bring them here so you could see,” Lassie continued, ignoring the question. ”They are my responsibility, and no harm will come to them.”

For the first time, the other Alpha really looked at you. His gaze was piercing, a bit disdainful as it travelled up and down your form, making your skin crawl. Just as soon as he’d laid eyes on you, he went back to ignoring you, his focus once again on Lassie, an easy smile on his face as he spoke:

”Shall we talk then?”

”Yes. Let’s.” The clipped tone was back in Lassie’s voice.

Sam reappeared with another beta, pulling you back into the crowd and ultimately away from it. You and your friend desperately tried to look over your shoulders, tried to catch a glimpse of your friend over the heads of his pack while the two betas dragged you off to the car you’d arrived in.

”Sam, what the hell is going on?” you hissed as he finally let go of your arm.

”You need to stay here. Get in the car, lock the doors, do not leave,” the beta answered, looking sternly at you and your friend.

”What, you think the other pack will try something?” your friend retorted, squirming out of the other beta’s grip.

”They already have…”

”What?” you both exclaimed, and Sam gave a sigh like he’d said too much.

”Jeremy will stay with you. I have to go back, I’ll send someone else so you’ll have two guards. Do not leave. It shouldn’t take long, the Alpha will take you home after. Now get in the car.”

You both quirked an eyebrow in tandem at Sam. Maybe that authority worked with the pack, but you were not part of it, and he should know better. Sam had visited you enough at the house, bringing news to his Alpha, to know that out of all the humans in the world, Lassie had to find himself protecting two of the most obstinate humans ever. Sam grumbled, softening his expression.

”Please.”

You let out a huff of air, opening the door to the backseat, sliding in. Your friend did the same, and you locked the doors. Jeremy and Sam both gave the doors a tug to make sure it was locked before exchanging a few words. Sam left in a hurry, and about ten minutes later another man appeared. He was unfamiliar, but by the way Jeremy behaved around him, he had to be another alpha. You knew there were a couple of other alphas in Lassie’s pack, but it was a precious balance that needed to be maintained. Any of them could challenge Lassie for his position as pack alpha, but they were needed to keep the peace in the pack.

An hour passed before Sam and Lassie reappeared. Jeremy and the other alpha had patrolled around the car, eyes scanning for any intruders and it had been unsettling to say the least. As if the car you were locked in would have stood a chance against a group of attackers if they had wanted to ambush you. Your two guards were dispatched, and Sam and Lassie talked for a while before Lassie knocked on the window to signal you to open the doors to let him in.

”All done?” you asked,  placing your hand on his shoulder as he slid into the drivers seat.

The tension was still there, the muscle in his shoulders taut and unrelenting. It surprised you, you’d expected him to have relaxed now that the meeting was over and you could go home.

”Yeah,” he answered, voice void of any emotion as he turned the key and the car roared to life.

The ride home was quiet and tense, Lassie never once talking or answering any of your tentative questions with more than a low growl or a shrug of his shoulders. Finally, you stopped talking too, exchanging wary looks the rest of the way home. He’d never been like this. If he was displeased, he’d let you know why. This pressing silence was worrisome, his frame seemingly growing until it felt like it took up more space than it actually did. In that small car, he felt truly Alpha; power and authority exuding from him, a spark of danger in the coiled muscles and subdued breathing.

He was out of the car the second he was parked in the driveway, stalking toward the house with long steps. You bit your lip. Whatever had happened at that meeting after you left can’t have been good. Hurriedly, you and your friend got out of the car, following Lassie.

”Good lord, I almost thought he’d left you two to the wolves!” Batsy greeted you by the door.

”Where is he?” you asked, ignoring the vampire’s attempt at humour.

”Living room. What the hell happened?”

”No idea,” your friend replied, craning her neck to try and spot Lassie in the living room just up ahead. ”But we’re gonna see if he will talk to us.”

Batsy fell in behind you as you walked into the living room, all of you stopping in your tracks when you spotted him on the couch, head resting in his hands, hunched over like there was a heavy weight resting on his back. He’d no doubt heard you, but made no move to look up. Slowly, you made your way up to him, easing down beside him, placing a soft hand on his shoulder. Your friend joined you, taking the seat on his other side, while Batsy stayed put at the edge of the room. Finally, Lassie let out a long breath, lifting his head. Surprisingly, it wasnt’t to look at either of you, but to focus on Batsy, who seemed to find something in that look that had him moving towards the stairs leading up to the attic.

”What is it, Alpha?” you asked softly, rubbing soothing circles into the muscles of his shoulders.

”I’m sorry,” he whispered, voice tattered. ”I should’t have taken you two with me today. I thought- I didn’t know he’d do this.”

”Who? The other Alpha? Is something wrong?”

”They said it was a challenge, that I would be right to retaliate,” Lassie continued, as if not hearing your friend’s concern. ”I don’t want to do that, I don’t wanna be that kind of Alpha, I-”

”Lassie, please, what happened?”

You didn’t know if it was the please that made any kind of difference, but it broke the werewolf out of his little tailspin, his head turning to look at you in turn. His face was wrecked with anger and sadness, and the mere look it was enough to break your heart. For a few seconds, he hesitated, before casting his gaze downwards to his clasped hands.

”The girl. You saw her, right?”

”The pregnant one with the other alpha? She was his mate, right?”

Lassie gave a humourless chuckle. ”Yes. She used to be mine.”

”Yours?” You furrowed your brow. ”You mean she-”

”She used to be my mate. Years back.”

Lassie rarely talked about his past, and neither you, nor your friend had ever prodded him beyond the little anecdotes he’d share, often when Sam visited. He’d been the pack’s Alpha for a couple of years, taking over from his father when he died. It had taken some explanation to sort out that particular aspect of pack life.

”We… I guess you could say we dated. I was the son of the pack alpha, I was a desirable match. We were happy, so I took her as my mate. Things were going so well. My father was priming me to take over, I was young and proud, had a beautiful mate by my side. The day she told me she was pregnant was the happiest I’d ever been. I wanted to make it official, have a… wedding of sorts. It’s hard to explain. I didn’t- she said yes, and I was too happy to think twice.”

He fell silent, as if the memories were a wall he had to tear down brick by brick. You were torn between wanting to ask and holding back because of the sensation of dread swelling in your chest.

”She never showed to the ceremony. If I hadn’t been so worried about her, I would have felt the humiliation that everyone else felt for me. She was my mate and she was missing, my only concern was to find her.”

”Did you?” your friend asked, voice hushed.

Lassie nodded, squeezing his eyes shut. ”She…” He cleared his throat. ”She didn’t want any of it. Her family had pressured her into the union. Good match, good standing for them if we hit it off. ”

”She didn’t love you?”

”She did, just not the way I loved her. We’d known each other our whole lives, grew up together. Arranged unions for potential pack alphas are common. I think she thought the love between us would grow to be mutual with the pup.”

”Oh, Lassie… You shouldn’t be here, not if you have a kid somewhere…” you began, but Lassie interrupted you.

”I don’t.”

It was laced with bitterness, sadness beyond anything you’d heard from him. His jaw clenched.

”I was young and stupid. Didn’t see that she was unhappy, that she didn’t want this. She didn’t show up to the ceremony because she…” His voice trembled with the threat of tears. ”She was getting rid of the pup. Said she couldn’t take it. My father had died a couple of weeks earlier, I was the pack Alpha. It was too much for her, she didn’t love me like that, couldn’t take the pressure anymore. Her parents were breathing down her neck to make them proud, to make the pack proud, to bear pups and secure the power stayed in this circle they imagined they were part of. It was nothing a pup could save, nothing a ceremony could force out of her.”

Both of you were too stunned to say anything. You could feel tears roll down your cheek, grieving for the loss he’d kept to himself for so long, while anger welled in your chest at the thought of someone hurting him like this.

”She left the pack, said I could tell the others what I wanted to save face, because I was the Alpha and I needed to lead them. As if I could. Everyone expected me to crumble, I was a fresh pack Alpha, had just been humiliated in front of my pack, my mate abandoning me. Even had a couple of contenders, but I stood my ground. This had happened right under my nose, someone was so unhappy they went through all of this to make others happy and suffering terribly because of it. This was on me, and I wanted to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.”

”But… she was there today,” your friend fought to point out through tears. ”She was with him.”

”I know.”

”Why would she be so cruel?”

”I’m not sure she was being deliberately so. She’s the pack alpha’s mate, she follows his lead, and he does not like me. It was a power display. Keeping his mate, my former mate, close, displaying their union, the pregnancy, the jab at me still being unmated and without offspring. Their pack is more… traditional. Omegas are more subdued, the pack alpha and the elders have a lot of pull. He did what he could to hit me where it hurts, and he wasn’t entirely unsuccessful. I loved her so much, I would have moved heaven and earth for her, would have loved seeing her carrying my pups. I’m glad she found someone, that she’s found herself, I-” He took a shuddering breath. ”It hurts that it was with another pack alpha, that she fell in line with traditions and that it’s his pup she’s carrying. Sam said it’s their second.”

You couldn’t hold back anymore, pulling the distraught Alpha in for a hug. It was so unfair that he’d gone through this. You hated that he blamed himself, but you couldn’t find it in you to completely hate the mate either. She wasn’t ready back then, she did what she thought would get her out of the situation. Instead you found your anger focusing on the other Alpha, the way he’d diminished his mate to a statement piece to be paraded around and used as a piece in a stupid game for dominance.

”Please, don’t…” Lassie whispered against your neck.

”What?” You disentangled yourself, scanning his face for signs that you’d done something wrong in hugging him.

”I can feel you’re angry, you’re positively vibrating,” he pointed out.

”I’m not!” You looked over to your friend, who’d taken to leaning against Lassie’s back. ”Tell him I’m not!”

”You are. It’s unnecessary. They’ll be off our land in a day or two, and we have his word they won’t cause any trouble, especially where you two are concerned.”

”But-”

”No. I am begging you, both of you. It was enough that you felt you needed to sneak out and hunt down clowns back in October. Don’t do this to me, not now. I don’t want to lose you over this. My elders already think I should issue a challenge for this insult, take another mate to make a point, settle the pack. You’re my wards, I can’t… I need you to be safe.”

You knew there was pressure on him to take a mate, you’d seen evidence of it the few times you had been allowed to come to pack meetings. The elders would follow your every move, the unmated omega females would be visibly hostile towards you. Sam would tease him about it when he was here, calling you Lassie’s mates after seeing hickeys peeking out from your necklines. It was a surprise to see him so taken with it, so close to crumbling under it. To the two of you, he was always strong, always assertive and protective, a rock. Seeing him like this felt like you were seeing something you shouldn’t be privy to.

”I won’t. We won’t. Okay, Lassie? We’ll let you protect us, alpha,” you soothed, using his rank to help ease his worries.

He relaxed minutely, letting you come close again to hold him. Slowly, the tension started bleeding from him, his posture softening until he fell backwards against the couch, relishing in the closeness of the two human women taking care of him instead of the other way. Finally, your friend broke the silence.

”Why haven’t you? Taken another mate, I mean.”

Lassie heaved a sigh.

”Because I don’t want it to happen again,” he said, almost too low for you to hear.

”It won’t!” you both exclaimed, hugging him close.

”How do you know? She was my mate, the one I was supposed to know everything about, who was supposed to be able to share everything with me, and this happened. I don’t want to put anyone else in the same position, to have them tied to me and not dare speak up because I am pack alpha.”

”…we would.”

”I know you would. The pack elders already think you are some weird human omegas that cling to me like all the others,” Lassie chuckled. ”But I couldn’t take you to rut, not like that. We can’t sire werewolf pups with humans. I’d have to change you, and I don’t want that, not for the sake of this. You deserve better.”

”And you deserve to be happy,” you protested, caressing his stubbled cheek.

”I am.” He had the audacity to smile and you scowled at him, obviously not convinced. ”Okay, maybe not now, but I am. I’m okay, I’m happy. I have you two to keep up with.”

”But… we can’t give you pups.”

Just like that his smile fell. ”No. Much as… Nevermind. I’m fine. If it goes so far that the pack is threatened and none of the other alphas want to go through the show of challenging me, I will do my duty, take an omega, sire a pup and hope it presents as alpha.”

”That doesn’t… It doesn’t sound like- like love or affection.”

”Because it isn’t. Darling, I tried love once, and it failed me. I have a duty to my pack, and I will stand by it.” Carefully pulling his hands to his sides, Lassie got up from the couch. ”They trust me to lead them, and I need to be strong for them… Even when I don’t feel like it.”

With that, he marched off, his heavy footsteps echoing up the stairs until a door opened and closed rather harshly. The space inbetween you where he’d been sitting felt cold and hostile in his absence.

”Well, that seemed rather dramatic…”

Batsy’s melodious voice caused you to flinch, your heads snapping around to see him standing at the foot of the stairs.

”I wanted asking him, but he looked like he wanted to chew my head off, and I am rather attached to it.”

The vampire was trying to lighten the mood, but in light of what Lassie had told you, this was not something that could be made better with puns. Batsy seemed to realize this and came up to you, taking Lassie’s empty spot on the couch.

”Care to fill me in?”

”Lassie’s ex showed up at the pack meeting,” your friend supplied, pulling her knees up to her chest.

”She what?”

”There’s a pack coming through the area. She’s the pack alpha’s mate. He brought her to the meeting to hurt Lassie.”

”What could she possibly…”

”She was pregnant. With the alpha’s second pup.”

Batsy’s eyes bulged at that. ”That… bitch!”

”Batsy!”

”What? It’s technically appropriate!”

You elbowed him sharply in the side, wincing a bit at the pain of his hard ribs meeting your arm.

”He’s got a lot on his plate,” you berated the vampire. ”We never knew, and if this hadn’t happened, or if we hadn’t been asked to come along to the meeting, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have told us at all.”

You expected Batsy to immediately go into a rant about being kept out of the loop, but the vampire was uncharacteristically quiet, the teasing mirth in his expression gone.

”Wait, you knew?”

Your friend sounded almost accusatory, and well, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t feel a little left out too.

”We talk, strange as it sounds. We all have things we’d rather not discuss, and _iubi_ , this was not my story to share. I know you care about him, about us both, and right now, that’s what he needs from you. He’s a proud creature. Don’t coddle him, it will only make it worse.”

”Then what do you suggest we do?”

”He’s got a lot on his plate, you say?” You both nodded in affirmation. ”Don’t be reckless. No clown-hunting. Play into his nature for a bit, I know you can do it so well. He’ll no doubt feel like his responsibilities are slipping out of his hands. You two mean so much to him, having you both safe would make him feel like he’s doing something right.”

”So stay subdued? Like his ex?” your friend questioned, scrunching up her face.

Batsy shook his head. ”No, no. You stay strong. He’ll need it.”

With that, that vampire got up and sauntered off towards the kitchen. You and your friend looked at each other, considering his words. Stay strong. You could do that. If Lassie could, so could you. All through your stay at the thouse, he, along with Batsy, had kept up with your problems and complaints, comforted you when you were sad. All of this while keeping his own hurt from you.

”It’s… not a bad idea,” you ventured first, wringing your hands together nervously.

”The clowns can get a couple of days off,” your friend joked in return.

”You think we could..?”

”We can try.”

You moved like on, ascending the stairs to your respective rooms to get what you needed. Batsy was right; when you really wanted to, you could play Lassie like a fiddle. You met up again outside his door, arms laden with your covers and pillows, changed into your comfiest pajamas. Taking a hopeful breath, you knocked on the door.

”Not now,” Lassie replied, his voice heavy and muted.

”Alpha…” you pleaded, careful not to overdo it.

”We need you,” your friend continued.

Seconds ticked by until you finally heard the telltale sign of the bed creaking, followed immediately by steps closing in. The door cracked open, revealing his tall form peering down at you suspiciously. It softened at the sight of you, seemingly vulnerable and in need of him. Opening the door wider, he stepped aside to let you in, smiling in spite of himself at the way you rushed in, jumping onto the bed to start building a nest for the three of you to cuddle in.

This was fine. This, he could do. The rest would be okay.


End file.
